Bushwalk Australia

Many years ago I would have been relaxed about coming fire season. The last few years have reset my views.

While I'm more relaxed about this season compared to the last (due to the moisture situation, not fuel loads), climate change has made it very difficult to speculate on what's coming.

As with last year - stay safe everyone. I hope we don't have a season like last year but climate change has caught up with us and big fires are the norm.

As someone who does more canyoning than bushwalking, I'm really noticing the difference. Where once summer was ideal for harder exploatory trips, now it's too hot. Even without bushfires, the extreme heat makes walking impossible on many days. I feel like canyoning season will shift to spring and autumn, like it is in arid places like Utah.

Here is the outlook for the coming season - new report soon

https://www.bnhcrc.com.au/hazardnotes/77

Latest https://www.bnhcrc.com.au/hazardnotes/85

The bits that didn't burn last seson may go this season. Hoping for a persistent la nina to give the bush an ongoing chance for regrowth to flowering age.

The Fraser Island fire is proving to be difficult to contain

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-12-01/ ... h/12938420

Neo wrote:The bits that didn't burn last seson may go this season. Hoping for a persistent la nina to give the bush an ongoing chance for regrowth to flowering age.

I was also hoping La Nina would give the bush a bit of a break from fire this season. though the fine print says La Nina does feature increased chance of heat wave events aka last weekends 40C+

Seems quite a bit of rain/moisture around.. may offer some protection.

Yep, I'm heading out Friday and just noticed it's rain for Saturday. Seems like if it's not 40c it's raining lately...Where's the middle ground I ask?!

Am also worried - although worrying has been a long past time of mine ! I just hate to see any more land, habitat, animals, homes put through it. Trying to prepare my property as best I can here in TAS.

Fraser Island fire caused by camp fire - was buried in sand but not out. Further the camp fire was 'unauthorized' .. whatever that means.
4 or 5 people have been charged. Looks like they will plead ignorance.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-12-22/ ... s/13006538

Warin wrote: . . . Looks like they will plead ignorance . . .

That makes them plus half a million (conservative estimate) others.

Seriously, can camp fires still be justified in 2020?

peregrinator wrote:Seriously, can camp fires still be justified in 2020?

No. Well, not in wilderness areas anyway. In my opinion.

Truthfully, I still do a double take every time I watch a 'mainlander' bushwalking video on YouTube etc. and see them make a campfire. Then again I've spent 98% of my time in WHA/CPCA areas where it's been Fuel Stove Only since I was barely walking on two legs.

peregrinator wrote:Seriously, can camp fires still be justified in 2020?

Well, yes, since you asked. Campfires use a carbon neutral renewal resource, compared to a fossil fuel alternative where the fuel is extracted in an environmentally harmful way, transported a long way and often packaged in a metal canister which has severe environmental impact from mining, refining and manufacturing.

Furthermore, the wood that is burned results in a reduced local fuel load in the immediate vicinity of frequently-used areas, which increases bushfire safety for bushwalkers.

The fire provides warmth, comfort and a social focal point. It provides light, which reduces the use of artificial light which comes with an environmental cost. It enables water to be sterilized without the need for chemicals or plastic devices, both of which have an environmental cost.

Naturally, there are constraints on the way in which the fire must be built, fuelled and reliably extinguished. For sure, there are negative environmental effects from campfires, but the effects of all the campfires ever lit by bushwalkers are absolutely inconsequential compared to even one wildfire.

What ribuck said, thumbs up

Yep, what ribuck said. Dead on.

No fires.
People can't be trusted.

x2 - people cant be trusted.

The fuel load reduction argument is a load of rubbish. Orroral Valley burnt 4 times during the last fire and there are many other well documented cases of fires burning recently burnt areas. The fuel load argument is rubbish.

ribuck for PM.

Though I would support a fire ban in drive up campsites. Lanterns and even gas fire pits can be transported in by car easily enough.

https://www.amazon.com.au/Outland-Fireb ... B007UMD2L0

I've always thought it's drive in campsites that are the primary problem.

Fuel load argument isn't rubbish in normal years, what we are facing at the moment are not normal conditions; and I hope they do not become the new normal either but I fear they will be soon.
In a way it's a shame that Covid -19 isn't more lethal as what the world needs to avoid this massive climate change is a bout 3 billion fewer people very quickly.

Moondog55 wrote:In a way it's a shame that Covid -19 isn't more lethal as what the world needs to avoid this massive climate change is a bout 3 billion fewer people very quickly.

Mate I know you mean well but that comment really doesn't go down well in current circumstances.

wildwanderer wrote:

Moondog55 wrote:In a way it's a shame that Covid -19 isn't more lethal as what the world needs to avoid this massive climate change is a bout 3 billion fewer people very quickly.

Mate I know you mean well but that comment really doesn't go down well in current circumstances.

Yeh it's a bit ordinary. I assume those making such comments are prepared to volunteer to be part of the 3 billion ?

Speaking of climate change, it's kind of faded from the narrative due to covid, which is most unfortunate. A period of introspection and (social and economic) downturn such as this might otherwise have been a good opportunity to pivot towards more sustainable practices, industries etc., or at least put the policies and structures in place for that, but the public discourse has been preoccupied with the 'rona. Understandable, but unfortunate.

I take no offense; I have already lost mates and family members to this in the US and at 70YO I am in the very high risk section of the population and quite ready to go soon enough anyway.
If we don't stop breeding like rabbits a plague will take us all out sooner or later.

Moondog55 wrote:Fuel load argument isn't rubbish in normal years, what we are facing at the moment are not normal conditions; and I hope they do not become the new normal either but I fear they will be soon.

We are beyond "normal" but even in a "normal" year the fuel load argument was weak at best.

The fuel load argument has always been cobblers.
Either the campfires are too rare and too dispersed to really make any sort of serious reduction in the available fuel (and they don't reduce the dry grass, leaves and bark anyway, which are major contributors to early spread) or people run out of fallen wood and start cutting things down, thus causing serious damage to the local ecosystem (which is a secondary reason why fires have been banned in some areas).

Overpopulation is the elephant in the room, globally.

Yep also agree people can't be trusted. Can't even percieve 1.5m and then quickly forget anyway.

Moondog55 wrote:I take no offense; I have already lost mates and family members to this in the US and at 70YO I am in the very high risk section of the population and quite ready to go soon enough anyway.
If we don't stop breeding like rabbits a plague will take us all out sooner or later.

I agree with you Moondog. There is a plague on our planet, it is called humanity, it has been slowly devouring its host for a while now and is nearly done. Poor old planet earth my mother.